I took this photo a few weeks ago to show you what I used to see growing up. I didn't see the cherry-blossoms tsunami as I see in recent years. From my home in Yokohama, I saw a few white spots every year at the side of mountains, and at the peak, they turned to very light pink. I want that sense of beauty back.
With the sense of simplicity in mind, I drew the names of my fellow bloggers in our most ordinary and flat writing system, hiragana.
First, this is Rebbecca. れべっか This name is passionate red to me. The red background I used is my fukusa that I use to purify tea utensils in ocha performances. The silk is very thick. About Rebb, I imagine a shapely mountain, the moon, trees, and a road to go up.
This is Luciana. るちあな あ is my most favorite hiragana. It is the first letter in hiragana and also in alphabet, A. It means life and love to me.
Dorraine! どれいん Dorraine is a beautiful name, but it's so non-Japanese, so hiragana does not do justice as I type. But when I wrote in the way I did, I felt better. The feminine side of どれいん came out. What do you think?
I tried to experiment the background with Vincent's hiragana name. Actually, I had difficulty to choose one. Other two backgrounds happened to come out beautifully, I thought. For those experiments, I used my furoshiki above, the multi-purpose silk cloth that I used for Luciana and Dorraine. The background below is a piece of thick silk also. I don't know exact name, but it's an ancient Tang style design. It is my cloth to hold a bowl of tea. The hiragana I wrote to describe Vincent, びんせんと, I tried to depict a solid, wise man!
This is Jitu, じつ. It's only two simplest letters. It's young and energetic as a bamboo. The background is another silk furoshiki I love. It's probably 30 years old, but it's still one of my treasure.
16 comments:
Wonderful calligraphic inventions, conveying so much! You are an artist and an intuitive, Keikaccia! I like my name in Hiragana. It reminds me somehow of a sketch by Sengai of a laughing monk in a village scene.
Keiko, The photo is peaceful. There are so many different greens, including the trees reflected in the water.
You are an artist indeed! The hiragana names you've expressed here and the care in choosing the backgrounds takes my breath away. They are absolutely beautiful and express so much. I especially like mine and how you describe it. I see the mountain. And the funny thing is one of my main walls is red like your fukusa and my one of my windows, on the red wall faces a small mountain and I often see that glorious moon and there are many trees. I love it, Keiko! I see myself in the hiragana you drew. Thank you so much for sharing these treasures.
Hey Keiko, you have done a wonderful work.Afterwards I search some Hiragana charts on Google.Amazing. Bamboo is my favorite plant,yes my letters in hiragana resemblance it.But most amazingly it is nearer to the art work of Lord Ganesha [Elephant faced god] Trunk, stomach and legs in sitting position.I would have never know it if you had not posted this Blog.It makes lots to me,a worshiper of Lord Ganesha.Thanks a lot.
I like Rebb's Hiragana too, and scene in picture is great.
Vincent,
I’m so glad you liked it. I was playing with writing all of your names. It was a break while I was editing my short story. I almost threw the paper away. But instead, later on, maybe, I can improve my calligraphy technique, use ink brush and write better hiragana on better paper. Thank you for your enthusiasm.
Rebb,
Thank you. Your blog motivated me to write this, and I’m glad I did. It’s such a coincidence that one side of your wall is red! And you can see from your window mountains and trees, too. I’m glad it made sense to you. It was a spontaneous thing, so I didn’t know until I wrote it. But after I saw what I wrote, it made sense to me. I had fun.
Jitu,
Lord Ganesha! How wonderful of you to make that connection. Yes, I see the elephant’s nose curling up and down. I’m also glad that you like bamboo. Your name is special. Probably you can write your name in hiragana already.
Returning to these pieces of calligraphy, I love them all for the beauty of line, the pictures they evoke and the insights into personality. I do hope Keiko that you will take time when you can to do them in ink with brush and fine paper, in the age-old manner.
And you have brought together this little group with a set of identities!
Vincent,
With your encouragement, I made a call and got into a calligraphy of just hiragana. Today was my first day. All the students are like professional. They write beautifully. Someday, I'd like to write like an ancient text of genji monogatari. And perhaps, I want to write my story in that fashion in a roll of rice paper.
Keiko, Spontaneity and fun. Two great qualities when we're doing our creative work! It really come through that you had fun and were in the moment.
I wanted to say too how excited I am that you signed up for a hiragana calligraphy course with Vincent's encouragement. What fun!
Such razzle-dazzle, Keiko! They are all so stunning. What a treat you've given to each of us.
Love, love what you did with my name. However did you manage that? It really means so much to me because I've never found my name anywhere. I wish I could pluck this right off the computer screen and put it in a place of honor.
Truly, you've blessed me with my hiragana name. Bless you back, dear one.
Rebb,
The class I signed up is a formal kana calligraphy. We use an old ancient text as a model. The ancient kana has different style hiragana.
So, I might not improve what I wrote here. Spontaneous and fun moments come only when I'm inspired. I'm not consistent.
In the past,I drew manga characters about four times or so. Each time, I did for a few weeks. The first time was during my high school and the second time, while workig around 1980. My friends and colleagues said those characters were just like the models. I knew the characters well, so I captured small things about them. The third and fourth time, I didn't do as well as the first two times. I don't know why.
Dorraine,
I'm glad you liked it. If I write a similar one, it won't be spontaneous, but if you, or anyone here would like to have your name in hiragana on a card, I'll do it in brush and send it to you.
For this blog, it just happend. I became to know all of you a little bit, and one day, I felt like doing something mischievous.
Oh, I would cherish one, Keiko! I'd be so happy to pay you to do it. Really. xoxo
Dorraine,
I'm embarrassed because any Japanese person can do this. But it will be at least mine. l'll send you email. Please send me your address.
Keiko, this is so YOU : giving and generous with your feelings! You look like a beautiful flower to me. That could be your pictorial representation! :-)
I´ll copy that photo and print it. I´ll take it as a birthday present!
P.S. I didn´t write before because I was on the road.
Thank you, Lu. I'm glad you like it.
Happy Birthday to you!
I'll send you an email.
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